


Never Gonna Be Alone

by MilayaMilenZeal, Night_the_Dragon



Series: Here's Your Nickel Back [2]
Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: F/F, Losing track of time, M/M, Piercings, Post-Game(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-11-01 09:48:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10919337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MilayaMilenZeal/pseuds/MilayaMilenZeal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Night_the_Dragon/pseuds/Night_the_Dragon
Summary: When you have eternity, a blink of the eyes is often enough to make time pass you by at twice the speed it should, if not more. As Composer, Joshua's learned this the hard way as he watches his old Proxy go through his life, with the days turning to weeks and weeks turning to months... all in what feels like seconds, minutes or even hours."Time, is going by, so much faster than I, and I’m starting to regret not telling all of this to you."





	Never Gonna Be Alone

_You’re never gonna be alone!_

_From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,_

_I won’t let you fall,_

_You’re never gonna be alone!_

_I’ll hold you ‘till the hurt is gone._

  * Nickelback



 

Time had always been something of a weird thing. To anyone, not just Joshua, but he felt it applied the most to him. Being someone with an eternity ahead of him until the next challenger stepped up and took his throne from him, it wasn’t unusual for time to fly by, so fast that sometimes Joshua worried that each second to him was a day (or worse, a year) by the RG’s standards.

While this did ensure that the eternity he had in store didn’t drag on forever, it did make him feel as if he was missing out on everything that was even slightly important to him.

And what made it worse was when he would look down across Shibuya and his gaze was inevitably drawn to his ex-Proxy, moving around the city’s streets.

The silverette would watch the redhead almost every day as he traversed through the city, almost longing to talk to him again without fear of being punched in the face. Not to say he didn’t deserve it, but it would be nice to not have to walk around fearing to get a fist to the face randomly.

Neku was never aware of the Composer watching him, of course. He merely continued on with his life, with no real deviation from the pattern he had set over the years following the Game. The only difference by now was that he had switched high school for college, but other than that, he still met up with the other ex-Players almost every weekend.

However, today, as he stood waiting by Hachiko, something seemed almost… off.

Joshua watched his former Partner curiously, wondering what would be different about today as compared to any other day. There was a distant look to him, one that Joshua didn’t recognize. Then again, it _had_ been four years since their last… well, encounter, one could say. It was inevitable for things to change, so he tried not to pay any further attention to it.

Just then, Neku’s phone beeped in his pocket. The redhead reached inside and pulled it out, swiping across his smartphone quietly to read whatever message had just come in. Once he had, though, he sighed heavily and shoved his phone back in his pocket.

Frowning curiously, Joshua idly wondered who had texted the redhead, and what they had said.

Finally, though, Neku pushed off of the wall he was leaning against, and pulled out his phone again. After flicking over it a few times, he brought it to his ear as he began to walk off.

Now definitely puzzled, the Composer followed after Neku, listening in on his phone call.

“…Hey, it’s me,” the redhead said as the other side picked up. “…Yeah, there’s been a change of plans, I’m afraid. Shiki called me off coz she was feeling sick.”

The silverette quirked a brow. Shiki calling off a date with Neku? That was strange…

“…Yeah, I blame the weather. It’s making us all sick in one way or another,” Neku continued with a shrug. “…Anyway, did you finish the thing I asked you about yet?”

Joshua continued to tail Neku, eavesdropping on him and hoping to find out more.

“…I see… A’ight; text me when ya finished it, kay? …Yeah, thanks. Ja ne,” Neku finished, before he hung up and stuffed his phone back in his pocket.

Joshua tilted his head, puzzled. Who had Neku been talking to? He desperately wanted to ask the redhead, but that would mean revealing himself, and he wouldn’t be able to do that.

As the redhead continued walking, he eventually put a single earbud in his ear and hummed softly as he continued to walk.

“You know you’re not supposed to do that, J.”

“So? I can’t help it, I miss him. You know that, Sanae,” the Composer replied.

Sanae sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck as they watched Neku disappear amidst the crowd. “I know, J, I know… but you gotta let it go. He’s where he belongs now.”

“I know that, Sanae,” Joshua growled irritably. “That doesn’t mean I can’t watch out for him, though.”

“J… you and I both know that’s just going to tempt you too much.”

“I don’t care.”

“J…”

“Just leave me alone, dammit…” Joshua muttered.

Sanae sighed softly. “A’ight, J… just remember; this isn’t healthy. You’ll only end up feeling worse by the end of it.”

That was all the Angel said before he silently walked away.

The silverette huffed, but didn’t move for a few seconds before following after Neku’s Music to see where he’d gone. This eventually brought him to an arcade hall, where the redhead was busy playing some sort of arcade game.

Joshua waited outside, allowing himself to remain invisible to the redhead inside the building. Hopefully he would learn more about what was going on between Neku and Shiki.

 

However, Neku took his time, and by the time he finally finished, the sun was setting.

“…ah… should be going home…” Neku murmured softly to himself, before he quietly began to jog off.

Joshua quickly followed, keeping the redhead in his sight. Of course, Neku didn’t notice him. Eventually, he reached an apartment building and, after a moment of looking up to the skies, he headed inside without a word.

“Damn…” Joshua muttered, and then turned back to head to the Shibuya River.

When Joshua returned again, he retreated to the darkness of Shibuya. As much as he wished he could spend the day outside, he still had to prepare for the Game that had been scheduled to start the day after. He absently told himself that he would look up Neku again when he had time after the first day had finished.

…but the next time he looked at the calendar, he realized that almost a month had passed without him noticing.

“Dammit…” Joshua growled, frustrated with himself.

“Hm?” Sanae hummed as he looked up from where he was washing some dishes. “Somethin’ wrong, J?”

“Time flies too fast,” the silverette muttered.

“Yeah, that tends to happen…” Sanae said with an absent shrug.

The Composer rolled his eyes as he turned away from his Producer, deciding to take the day to seek out Neku and follow him again.

“Don’t stay out too long,” Sanae called out after, not seeming too surprised at the sudden departure.

“Right,” the silverette shrugged, and easily caught the melody of Neku’s Music before following it to Dogenzaka, where the redhead was leaving Ramen Don.

However, he wasn’t alone this time; following closely after was Shiki, and the pair of them were laughing and chatting as they left Ramen Don behind.

On the inside, Joshua couldn’t help but feel a throb of pain in his heart at the sight. Regardless, he continued to follow them.

As the pair continued to walk, their conversation remained light, with the occasional friendly squabble where Shiki would try to whack Neku with Mr. Mew.

“Ah, right…” Neku murmured after a while. “You ready for next weekend?”

“Well, kinda…” Shiki admitted, nervously playing with Mr. Mew’s paw. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea…”

“Hey, just relax,” Neku reassured. “It’ll be fine. You’ll see.”

Joshua hummed thoughtfully, wondering what next weekend would bring for them. They didn’t often make plans ahead of time, and whenever they did, they weren’t so secretive about it. So either they’d already discussed it at length earlier, or they actually didn’t want anyone to find out.

Finally, though, they reached 104 and said their goodbyes -- with Shiki standing on her toes and kissing Neku’s cheek, who, after a moment of thought, returned it without a word of complaint.

Joshua nearly gawked at the sight, feeling his heart throb with pain again.

Shiki smiled and waved as she headed off, and Neku remained standing there, waving slightly until she had disappeared into the crowd. Finally he turned and headed off as well, putting his earbud in his ear again.

Joshua sighed heavily before silently following him again.

The redhead continued moving through Shibuya well into the early hours of twilight, before he reached his apartment again. Again, he looked up to the skies for a moment before he went inside, tucking his earbud away as he did.

The Composer sighed heavily, but a brief wondering thought of what Neku was looking at the sky for flitted across his mind. He shrugged it off, and headed back.

Upon returning to his room in WildKat, Joshua made a mental note to not forget about the following weekend. He kept telling himself it was important, and that he had to go see what Shiki and Neku had planned, and that he had to go, even if he had the last days of the Game scheduled then.

But, again, the next time he looked at the calendar, 3 weeks had passed him by without him noticing.

‘Son of a bitch,’ the silverette groaned mentally. He decided to head out to seek out his former Partner, regardless of what Sanae said. He didn’t care; he had to know what was going on.

Finding Neku, however, turned out to be much harder than he had expected, and that was mainly because he wasn’t in one of the places he was known to be at usually. He was laying in a grassy field of a park, earbuds in his ears as he stared up to the heavens, hands behind his head.

Joshua sat beside him on the grass, the redhead unaware of the Composer’s presence.

And for several hours, that was how they remained, with Neku merely staring to the heavens as if they held all the answers. As Joshua laid back next to his former Proxy, he sighed, wondering just what Neku was thinking about.

As the thought finished, Neku’s phone beeped in his pocket, and the redhead blinked, before he sat up after pulling his phone out. Once he’d removed his earbuds, he put the phone to his ear. “Yeah, ‘sup?”

Joshua merely listened in, curious.

“…Yeah, alright, I got time. …Sure. I’ll be there in about ten. …Yeah, ja ne.”

Finished with the rather short conversation, Neku climbed to his feet and stretched his arms over his head.

Joshua stood as well, and with a curious hum, followed Neku to his destination.

Neku said nothing as he walked, one earbud in his ear and his gaze focused on the path ahead him, hands in his pockets. And Joshua trailed after, hoping he would be able to follow Neku into his destination, wherever it may be.

 

About 10 minutes later, Neku arrived at what appeared to be a small shop, which, from the outside alone, seemed to be a jewelry shop. The redhead didn’t even think twice before walking inside, though.

“Yo! Odin! Where you at?” he called out.

“No need to shout, I’m right here,” came a male voice, as a blonde man stepped out from behind a shelf. He briefly looked at his watch, and quipped: “Ten minutes exactly. Nice.”

“Told you I’d be here.”

Joshua listened in from the doorway, not wanting to be seen in case there was a Player decal inside.

“So? You had any discomforts?” the blonde asked casually.

“Not that I can tell… maybe a bit of an itch, but that’s about it,” Neku admitted.

“Good to know… though I’ll still have to make sure it’s not gotten infected,” the man said then, arms crossed. He waited a moment before he asked: “No objections?”

“None here. That’s the last thing I need…”

“Right. Oy! Hitoe!” the man called out.

“Yeah?” asked a young girl as she walked over, carrying a notepad.

“Mind watching the desk for a bit? I’ll be in the back, a’ight?”

“Sure, bro.”

The man nodded, as the girl -- his sister -- stepped up to the counter, after which he guided Neku into the back.

Joshua frowned, concerned as the situation began to dawn on him completely. Neku got a piercing? Where? He didn’t SEE one on the redhead…

 

After almost half an hour, Neku finally exited the back alongside the blonde man -- Odin, was it? -- and he nodded briefly. “Thanks, man. ‘Preciate it.”

“Dun mention it. Just watch yourself, a’ight?”

“Yeah, yeah. Might catch you later. Ja ne.”

And with one last wave, the redhead walked out of the store.

Joshua followed after Neku, almost desperate to find out what that was about, but not about to give himself away.

As Neku walked, he pulled out his phone and checked a few things, briefly stopping in his tracks as he did, before he started heading off again.

The Composer sighed softly as he followed the redhead. Would he ever find out the answers to his questions without asking Neku himself? Such a pain…

Before long, Neku reached his apartment building, however, instead of going in immediately, he paused with his hand on the doorknob. And Joshua watched, curious.

He remained there for almost two minutes, before he turned and looked up to the sky, an expression on his face that Joshua didn’t recognize on the redhead. It was one that looked almost like… longing?

The silverette wondered what the expression was for. He couldn’t possibly be longing to see Joshua at all, could he?

Neku didn’t say a word, of course, but he did sigh softly, before he turned and stepped through the door finally, letting it fall shut behind him.

Joshua sighed as well, before turning and heading back to the Shibuya River.

When he returned “home” again, he tried to focus on time for once. Tried to focus on the seconds, minutes and hours, as they passed by, trying to gauge just when a day was over, but it made no difference. One moment he looked and it was morning, then when he looked what he believed an hour later, it was evening of the next day, sometimes even two or three days later in the morning. He didn’t understand why time seemed to be so out of whack for him, but the longer it kept up, the more he started to realize that everything he cherished most was beginning to pass him by…

And then, without him realizing, 5 months had passed…

The Composer decided to spend the day following his ex-Proxy again, so he traced out his Music before leaving to follow him.

 

When he finally found him at Hachiko, he was already in the middle of a conversation with Shiki, Rhyme, Beat, and even Eri. However, as Joshua came closer, he realized something had changed…

Neku’s hair had darkened considerably, to a dark fiery red, and his left ear was lined with three rings and five studs, and his right eyebrow had a piercing through its end, as well. He’d also exchanged his typical, loose JOTM outfit for black, form-fitting jeans, a shirt that barely passed his ribcage and a leather jacket. A style that would’ve fit Beat better than it would him, and yet he made it look good.

“The hell…?” Joshua frowned, wondering what the hell had changed to make Neku do this.

“Oh by the way,” Beat said suddenly, “did ya already pin a date yet, yo?”

Neku hummed curiously. “For…? Oh, wait. You mean for the wedding?”

“What?” the silverette gasped quietly.

Shiki flushed crimson at that. “Um uh n-no! No, w-we haven’t yet… but um… well…”

Eri laughed at her friend’s stammering. “What she’s trying to say is, she’s thinking of having a winter wedding. How does that sound?”

“Oooh sweet! That’d be totally cool!” Beat exclaimed, while Neku chuckled and murmured: “In more ways than one…”

Rhyme giggled. “It’d be nice if it actually snowed then. Did you want to do it before or after Christmas?”

“Um… not sure yet…” Shiki admitted.

Joshua watched and listened, feeling like shit. He hoped it wasn’t really Neku and Shiki’s wedding, or he’d probably lose his mind…

“Anyway,” Neku said after he briefly checked his phone for the time. “Shall we head off? Our reservation’s in 30 minutes.”

“Sounds good!” Eri chirped. “Let’s mosey, shall we?”

The Composer followed after them, feeling almost completely depressed. From the little tidbits he had seen over the past few months, it was clear that Neku was likely getting married to Shiki, and that was likely what they had gotten together for that one weekend. It was the only thing that made sense.

But… he still wanted to find out for certain, though.

Eventually, the small group arrived at a karaoke bar, and, after confirming their reservation at the desk, they walked further inside, still laughing and joking as they went. Since Joshua didn’t see a Player decal by the entryway, he continued to trail after them, determined to find out the truth.

Once they reached the room, Eri plopped down on the corner of the couch, with Shiki sitting down next to her, and Neku settling on the brunette’s other side, while Beat settled in a big armchair and Rhyme walked up to the console to start looking through the selection of songs.

The Composer merely perched on the edge of the couch by Neku, unnoticed by everyone.

“Okay, sooo… who’s got first dibs?” Beat asked just then.

Eri giggled cheekily. “Well… how ‘bout we let the bride to be start, ne?”

“H-hey!!” Shiki got out.

Joshua slumped a little, hoping they weren’t referring to Shiki as NEKU’S bride.

Neku merely chuckled as he sat back. “C’mon, Shiki; we’re all going to have our turn eventually.”

Shiki pouted unhappily, before she sighed. “Fine! But you’re next, Neku!” she said, making Neku chuckle.

“Sure, hon, sure,” he said with a smirk.

Joshua pouted himself, becoming frustrated. The more time he spent there, the more obvious it was becoming that, yes, Neku was likely getting married to Shiki. How else could you explain _that_?

Shiki eventually picked up the mic as she chose some sort of love song. She was a bit nervous, so it wasn’t the best performance she could give, but her friends still applauded her regardless of that.

Neku was next up. and he hummed softly as he scrolled through the list. And finally, he nodded and selected the song.

Joshua watched, eager to listen to Neku sing despite what he felt was going on. He’d never actually heard him _sing_ , after all. He’d hum, sometimes mumble the lyrics of a song over his headphones, but he’d never sung them… to Joshua’s knowledge, anyway.

Neku took a breath, mentally preparing himself, before he hit start, and then he opened his mouth.

 

“ _Time, is going by, so much faster than I,_

_And I’m starting to regret not spending all of it with you._

_Now I’m, wondering why, I’ve kept this bottled inside,_

_So I’m starting to regret not telling all of it to you._

_So if I haven’t yet, I’ve gotta let you know_

_You’re never gonna be alone!_

_From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,_

_I won’t let you fall,_

_You’re never gonna be alone!_

_I’ll hold you ‘till the hurt is gone._ ”

 

The silverette watched, entranced, feeling a sort of empathy with the song for some reason.

At one point, Neku had shut his eyes as he sang, an almost loving expression on his face.

 

“ _And now, as long as I can, I’m holding on with both hands,_

_Cause forever I believe that there’s nothing I could need but you,_

_So if I haven’t yet, I’ve gotta let you know_

_You’re never gonna be alone!_

_From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,_

_I won’t let you fall,_

_When all hope is gone_

_I know that you can carry on_

_We’re gonna take the world on_

_I’ll hold you ‘till the hurt is gone_ ”

 

Joshua exhaled quietly, enjoying listening to Neku sing. It seemed a fitting song for him, too.

 

“ _Oh,_

_You’ve gotta live every single day,_

_Like it’s the only one, what if tomorrow never comes?_

_Don’t let it slip away,_

_Could be our only one, you know it’s only just begun_

_Every single day,_

_May be our only one, what if tomorrow never comes?_

_Tomorrow never comes_ ”

 

At this point, Neku paused to take a deep breath, possibly to prepare for the next verse. However, as he sang, his voice seemed to hitch for a moment.

 

“ _Time, is going by, so much faster than I,_

_And I’m starting to regret not telling all of this to you._

_You’re never gonna be alone!_

_From this moment on, if you ever feel like letting go,_

_I won’t let you fall,_

_When all hope is gone_

_I know that you can carry on_

_We’re gonna take the world on_

_I’ll hold you ‘till the hurt is gone_

_I’m gonna be there all the way,_

_I won’t be missing one more day,_

_I’m gonna be there always,_

_I won’t be missing one more day._ ”

 

The silverette sighed longingly, wanting nothing more than to be with Neku and for him to know Joshua was there.

After taking his round of applause, Neku moved over and settled back on his seat, slinging one leg over the other, placing one hand on his knee while the other rested on the couch. And Joshua, longing to touch the redhead, settled for placing his hand over Neku’s, even if there was no way that he…

As Eri went to look through the songlist, Neku blinked suddenly and looked down to his hand curiously. This made the Composer watch Neku curiously, furrowing his brows in confusion. Neku shouldn’t be able to feel his touch… right?

Neku spent a moment more looking at his hand, until Shiki asked him something, drawing his attention to her. However, as he did, he turned his hand so that it was laying palm-up on the couch. Curious about this, Joshua laid his hand down on Neku’s again, wondering if he would still feel it.

As Eri took the mic and began singing some hyper song that had everyone else laughing and giggling, Neku’s hand closed, as though he was trying to hold on to Joshua’s hand, even if he couldn’t see it.

The silverette sighed longingly, wanting nothing more than to actually hold the redhead’s hand at least. Properly, that is.

 

Much too soon, their reservation ended, and the group left the bar behind again.

“Wow! ‘s Already like night! Damn!” Beat mumbled as they took note of the darkening sky.

“Guess we’d better get on home, then, huh?” Neku mumbled.

Joshua found himself getting closer to Neku, wondering if the redhead would notice. Sadly, this didn’t happen as, one by one, everyone bade each other good night before they went their own way, dispersing into the streets of Shibuya.

However, Neku remained for a little while longer, seemingly lost in his thoughts, before he turned his head to the side just slightly. The silverette watched, almost hoping that Neku knew he was there.

Neku didn’t acknowledge his presence, though. At least, not with words. He did remain where he was for a long time, before he finally turned and walked away… in the opposite direction as his apartment.

Frowning and furrowing his brows in confusion, Joshua was quick to follow, wondering just where his former Partner was going.

 

The ex-Proxy remained silent as he walked, passing by everyone and not seeming to care much what people thought of the way he looked. It took him only ten minutes before Joshua realized where the redhead was going; Udagawa.

‘Why’s he going to Udagawa, of all places?’ Joshua thought to himself.

Just as the thought finished, though, Neku stopped walking… right in front of CAT’s mural.

Joshua’s gaze saddened, remembering the day he’d shot Neku there. Why Neku had returned to this spot, he wasn’t sure.

Neku stepped up to the mural silently, regarding it for a moment, before he brought up his hand and rested it on the wall, almost exactly as he’d done on THAT day.

The Composer sighed, wondering idly if he should just show himself. The whole situation was just one big—

“…déjà vu… huh… Joshua?”

The silverette jolted, not expecting the redhead to address him when he was still in the UG.

“I know you’re there, yanno…” Neku said softly as he turned his head to look over his shoulder. “Show up…”

With a resigned sigh, Joshua revealed himself to Neku, tuning into the RG so his former Partner could see him.

“Hello, Neku,” he greeted evenly, not sure if Neku would punch him or not. He certainly had the right to it.

“…Hey,” the redhead said simply as he turned around completely. That was all he did, though; he just stood there, watching the Composer quietly.

“I’m surprised you’re not punching me,” the silverette admitted, lowering his gaze slightly.

“…oh trust me, I’d been planning to do that…” the redhead chuckled, before he sobered. “Like, the first six months or so…”

Joshua couldn’t help but wince at that. After all, he knew he deserved it. “What changed?” he asked softly.

Neku didn’t respond immediately, before he shrugged his shoulders. “Dunno… I guess… I grew up?”

The Composer hummed in acknowledgment, but then sighed. “I’m sorry, Neku…”

“…hm?”

“For everything that happened during the Game…” the silverette elaborated.

“…I see…” Neku murmured softly.

“Neku…?”

“Hm?”

“How long did you know I was following you?” Joshua asked softly.

“…a while.”

“Sorry I didn’t show myself sooner…”

Neku didn’t say anything in response to that. He just put his hands in his pockets.

Joshua fell silent as well, unsure of what else he could say.

“…’s been five years…” Neku murmured suddenly.

“Hmm?”

“Five years ago today… was when we met here.”

“It’s been that long, huh…” Joshua sighed, knowing the time flies by for him.

“Yeah…” Neku murmured softly.

The silverette wasn’t sure what more he should say on that subject. And Neku didn’t say anything for a long time, but after what felt like forever, he silently stepped up to Joshua, removing his hands from his pockets again. Joshua tensed slightly, wondering what Neku was going to do.

The redhead stopped barely a foot away from Joshua, not saying anything for a long time, before he raised one hand. Instinctively, Joshua flinched, thinking Neku was going to hit him. Not that he wouldn’t deserve it.

However, instead of hitting him, Neku lightly rested his hand on the Composer’s cheek, and left it there.

Joshua blinked, surprised by the gentle touch before lightly leaning in to it. Neku didn’t say anything to explain why he did that, but the expression on his face was pensive. After a moment, though, he stepped even closer, and then rested his other hand on Joshua’s hip.

This caused the Composer to jump slightly, wondering what Neku was doing.

“…scared?” Neku asked, his breath ghosting over the Composer’s face.

“No, just wondering what you’re thinking,” the silverette murmured.

“…isn’t it obvious?” Neku murmured, lightly tilting his head to the side.

“Indulge me,” Joshua whispered.

“If I must…”

Neku’s fingers lightly hooked around Joshua’s ear, and then his hand tugged gently to guide his head closer, until their lips met softly.

Immediately, Joshua responded, kissing Neku lovingly as he’d BEEN wanting to. The redhead exhaled lightly through his nose as his hands moved around the Composer better, one cradling his head while the other slipped down the man’s hip into his back pocket.

Joshua’s breath hitched at the feeling of Neku’s hand practically on his ass, but he continued to kiss the redhead anyway.

After a short eternity, Neku finally pulled away. Joshua inhaled deeply as they parted, feeling amazed by the kiss.

Neku didn’t say anything, and instead, let his other hand slip down and into Joshua’s remaining backpocket… and then he pulled Joshua flush up against him.

Again, the Composer’s breath hitched, and he stared at Neku with wide violet eyes.

The Proxy didn’t speak, though; he merely smirked cheekily and lifted one eyebrow curiously at him.

“What are you thinking, Neku…?” Joshua whispered.

“Why do you ask?” Neku breathed softly. “Worried?”

“Not at all,” the silverette replied immediately.

“Then I don’t see why it’s important…”

And then Neku moved in to kiss him again. Of course, Joshua kissed back eagerly, wondering how he managed to get himself into this situation. Not that he was complaining, of course.

Neku hummed softly into the kiss, before he opened his mouth and licked across Joshua’s lips as his fingers curled into the Composer’s ass.

Joshua gasped softly, allowing the redhead entry. A satisfied hum vibrated from the redhead’s throat, as he slipped his tongue into Joshua’s mouth, swirling it around the silver-haired male’s. The Composer moaned into Neku’s mouth in response.

Neku made a small smile akin to a purr, before he began to step backward, pulling Joshua with him by his ass. The silverette nearly stumbled after him in his overly eager state.

After a few more steps backward, Neku’s heel touched the wall behind him, and once it did, he spun them around slowly, and then pinned Joshua against the wall, placing his hands against the wall to keep him there. Even though, as Composer, the silverette could probably leave whenever he wanted.

Joshua, however, had no such intentions. He wasn’t about to leave Neku now.

When Joshua didn’t move, Neku’s hands moved along his hips slowly, before he stepped up and pushed himself up against the Composer again. The Composer moaned into the redhead’s mouth, pulling Neku close to himself, too.

A groan rumbled from the redhead’s throat, before he pulled back and then immediately assaulted the silverette’s neck, nipping and suckling. Joshua tilted his head back, giving Neku more room to mark him.

Just then, Neku rolled his hips into Joshua’s as he bit down sharply. This made the silverette choke on a moan, shuddering heavily with delight.

A soft chuckle rumbled from the redhead’s throat, before he reached up and began to undo the buttons of Joshua’s shirt. As the shirt slowly fell away with each button, Neku moved his mouth ever downward, running his tongue along the heated skin. The wet, heated touch had Joshua whimpering with need, and he hoped this was enough to encourage Neku further down.

Whether it was in response to the whimper or simply because he had been about to do it, Neku slowly settled on his knees, as his tongue lapped at the Composer’s stomach, into his bellybutton, while his fingers moved to undo the button off his jeans. The touches had Joshua shuddering heavily, a quiet groan escaping him.

After dealing with the button and then the zipper, Neku hooked his fingers around the edges of the fabric, placing hot, open-mouthed kissed along his stomach, occasionally nipping at the skin. And the only thing the almighty Composer could do was give a low moan at the attention he was receiving.

After a moment more, Neku tugged firmly, pulling down both Joshua’s jeans and his underwear smoothly. Once the material was removed, the redhead continued his descent. The silverette instinctively buried his fingers into Neku’s hair in anticipation of what was to come.

Neku pulled away for a brief moment, but only briefly before he lazily ran his tongue across Joshua’s cock.

Joshua gasped sharply, a shock of pleasure racing through him at just the brief contact. And Neku merely continued to lick across the engorged, twitching flesh, eyes half shut and an almost dreamy expression on his face. But then he moved back again, and then moved in swiftly to swallow Joshua’s cock in one fluid motion.

The Composer gave a strangled cry, throwing his head back and smacking it against the wall, briefly stunning himself in the process. Regardless, he still gave an involuntary thrust into Neku’s mouth that almost made Neku gag. Thankfully he managed to hold it in at the last second and then he moved back slightly, licking along the base as he went. And then he began to bob his head almost lazily.

Joshua moaned loudly, unable to keep his voice down due to the wet heat surrounding his cock. Neku pulled away briefly then to lick and suckle along the Composer’s cock, before he swallowed him again, humming pleasantly from the back of his throat.

The silverette shuddered heavily at the hum, before attempting to warn the redhead of his impending climax. “N-Neku, I…I’m gonna…!”

As soon as he said that, Neku pulled away almost immediately. Before Joshua’s mind could figure that one out, he stood back up.

Joshua stumbled slightly, trying to regain his balance from the dizzying amount of pleasure he’d been experiencing. Thankfully Neku was there to help him keep balanced, and he was smirking cheekily as he leaned over. “This isn’t going to pose a problem, is it?”

“No… it won’t,” the Composer panted.

“Good,” Neku murmured as he moved in again to kiss the Composer.

Joshua responded eagerly, swiftly flipping their positions so Neku was pinned against the wall. Though Neku grunted briefly at his back hitting the wall, he merely chuckled as he curled his arms around the Composer’s neck and shoulders.

The silverette kissed his former Partner hungrily, running his tongue along Neku’s bottom lip and wordlessly asking for entry. The redhead was quick to allow it, moaning from the back of his throat, while curling his fingers in the older man’s shirt.

Joshua swept his tongue along Neku’s palate, tasting him with eager, lustful thoughts being the only thing running through his mind. Desperate for more contact, the silverette tugged at Neku’s short shirt.

Neku hissed as the man’s fingers skimmed over his skin, before he broke away with a soft cry as they passed over his nipples.

“So sensitive, ne, Neku?” the Composer smirked, brushing his fingers against the redhead’s nipples again.

“A-ah…!” Neku gasped sharply, before he chuckled softly. “And whose fault is that?

“Hmm… I don’t know. How about you tell me?” Joshua purred, ducking his head down and running his tongue along one of the nipples.

Neku choked briefly on his breath, before he whined and clawed at Joshua’s shoulders. The Composer smirked widely, and then latched onto the one he hadn’t licked, suckling and occasionally nipping.

“A-ah f-fuck…!’ Neku hissed out.

Joshua chuckled darkly at his ex-Proxy’s reaction, and then pulled away to kiss Neku again, nipping at his bottom lip.

The redhead moaned as he buried his hands in the silverette’s hair. “Enough already…” he choked out. “I want you… I want your cock inside of me!”

“So impatient, Neku,” the silverette smirked, undoing the redhead’s pants and pulling them and his underwear down. “As much as I want to fuck you senseless, I don’t want to hurt you.” And with that, he pressed his fingers to Neku’s lips. “Suck.”

Neku wasted no time on that, taking all four of Joshua’s fingers in his mouth and immediately beginning to lick and suck on them, coating them in his saliva and moaning in appreciation as he did. Joshua groaned softly as his fingers became coated, so he soon removed them and stuck the first finger in Neku’s entrance, knuckle deep.

Neku hissed briefly, before he moaned deeply from the back of his throat, gasping for breath.

Noticing how quickly the redhead was adjusting, Joshua slipped in a second finger and scissored his soon-to-be lover widely. It took only a moment for Neku to adjust to that, too, and he arched into the touch, breath shallow and labored.

This time, Joshua slid in the last two fingers, stretching Neku as wide as he could without hurting him. After all, don’t want him hurting when it comes time for the real thing, ne?

“Aaahh…! E-enough already, Josh…! Please…!”

Joshua smirked, and withdrew his fingers. He then kissed Neku lovingly before turning him around to face the wall. “Ready?” he asked as he positioned himself at the redhead’s entrance.

Neku took a few deep breaths to try and regulate his breathing, before he nodded. “Do it.”

“I love you, Neku,” Joshua breathed, and entered Neku with one swift, deep thrust.

The swift entry had Neku gasping in slight pain, which, halfway through, turned into a pleasured moan. “A…ah…! F… fuck…” he choked out.

The Composer pressed himself close to Neku’s back, allowing the redhead to adjust before moving further.

Neku breathed heavily for a few moments, before he choked out; “M-move already…!”

“As you wish, dear,” Joshua chuckled lowly, and then withdrew almost completely before slamming back in powerfully.

“ _Fuck…!_ ” Neku choked at the motion, before he moaned in pleasure, his arms resting against the wall as he lowered his head, gasping sharply for breath.

The silverette thrust in deep, hard, and fast. “I…love…you…Neku…” he panted between thrusts.

“ _A-ah…! Aaahh nrgh! Hah… hah…_ I… a- _ahh! F-fuuuaahhh!!_ ” The Proxy tried to speak amidst his endless litany of moans and gasps, but the words came out either half-formed or as a meaningless jumble of various curses, as his fingers instinctively clawed at the wall for leverage.

Suddenly, Joshua reached around to Neku’s throbbing dick, and began stroking it in time with his thrusts.

The sudden touch actually made Neku’s head snap up with a half-choked scream of pleasure, before he wailed and almost collapsed against the wall, barely able to keep himself up.

Finally, Joshua decided to end this. With a possessive growl, he bit down on the back of Neku’s neck to mark him, while at the same time thrusting in powerfully to accurately hit Neku’s prostate dead-on.

“ _A-aaaah!!_ F-fuu…!” Neku choked out, before he let out a scream as his release hit him and he came over Joshua’s hand.

The Composer groaned loudly when Neku clenched around him as he came, but his hips jerked slightly as his own release hit him, filling Neku with his cum.

The Proxy gasped sharply, as his body shuddered heavily, before he fell forward, resting his forehead against the wall as he struggled to catch his breath again.

Joshua softly kissed the mark he’d left on his lover’s neck, and then gently turned him around after pulling out, nuzzling his neck lovingly. Neku hummed softly in response, his arms lazily coming up around the Composer as his breath steadily evened out.

“ _Caaalling… Someone is caaalling…_ ”

At the sudden sound, Neku almost jumped, before he cursed hoarsely. “Oh come on… _now?!_ ” he hissed out.

Joshua sighed, pulling back to let Neku grab his phone.

After quickly fixing his clothes, Neku pulled out his phone and flicked his thumb over the screen before bringing it up to his ear. “Yeah?” he got out, managing to somehow sound less hoarse than he had earlier. After a moment of listening, though, his eyes widened. “What?! What happened?!” he choked out.

Concerned, the silverette watched Neku and listened to him, wondering what the hell happened.

“Fuck… alright, I’m coming over ASAP,” he promised, before he ended the call and began cursing angrily.

“What’s wrong, Neku?” Joshua asked.

“Shiki’s been in an accident… drunk driver,” the redhead sighed, holding a hand to his head. “I… I have to get to the hospital.”

“What can I do to help?” the silverette asked urgently, knowing that the redhead needed support.

Neku considered the offer for a moment, uncertain, before he asked: “You can teleport… right? Can you… can you get me to the Central Hospital?”

“Of course, Neku,” Joshua nodded, and took Neku’s hand. “It’ll feel weird,” he warned, and then teleported them to a discreet spot near the hospital. “Figured it would be better to not suddenly appear where people would notice,” he explained.

“Right…” Neku murmured, nodding quickly, before he made to run off. However, before he could, he paused, and then turned on Joshua and swiftly pulled him into an almost desperate kiss.

The Composer kissed him back eagerly. Soon after, though, he pulled back and murmured, “I’ll follow from the UG.”

However, Neku shook his head. “No… no, I’ll be okay… just… you should just go back. I’ve kept you away long enough…”

The ex-Proxy didn’t give Joshua the time to respond before he whirled around and ran off toward the hospital, never looking back.

Joshua sighed softly, hoping that everything would turn out okay, for Neku’s sake. Tuning back to the UG, the Composer then teleported back to WildKat.

 

As Joshua returned to the café, Sanae was waiting for him. “Back again, J?”

“Yep,” the silverette nodded, smiling slightly as he remembered the time he’d spent with Neku in Udagawa.

“Hm? Something happen? You sure seem to be in a good mood.”

“Oh, not much. Just the usual,” Joshua shrugged.

Sanae looked like he didn’t believe a word the Composer said, but he decided not to say anything of it. “A’ight, Boss. If you say so.”

“I DO say so, Sanae,” the silverette huffed, and then headed off to his room.

 

As the clock struck midnight, the Composer was awakened by the sound of something striking the window, jarring him awake again from his sleep.

“…Huh…?” Joshua uttered, sitting up tiredly. He got out of bed, and headed over to the window to see what was out there.

As he opened the window, it was just in time to avoid something flying in through the window, where it skidded to a halt along the floor. As he looked over to the item, Joshua realized it was a key.

As the silverette tried to look for who had thrown it, he could only just spot someone running off down the alley, disappearing around the corner.

Curious, the Composer examined the key, and realized there was only one place it could be for. With an amused chuckle, Joshua quietly left the café, while ensuring that Sanae didn’t notice him doing so, making his way to Neku’s apartment.

The apartment building was almost entirely dark by the time Joshua reached it. There was only one light still on, luring the Composer to his destination.

As he got closer, Joshua pulled the key from his pocket, and then stuck it in the keyhole once he was close enough. Unlocking the door, the silverette then entered.

The apartment, at first glance, appeared to be empty, but it was obvious where its inhabitant was, judging from the light coming from under the door to his right.

Pausing, Joshua then knocked on the door, calling out: “Neku?”

“…Door’s open,” came the familiar voice of the redhead.

The silverette opened the door, and walked in, closing it behind him.

Once it had shut fully, it took Joshua only a moment to locate Neku, as he was sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly thinking. He was still wearing the same shirt as when Joshua had left him, but the pants he wore were ripped in some places, and by the looks of it, it had been an intentional design choice. Unlike last time, he was also wearing some sort of charm bracelet around his right wrist, and he had an earring with a fang dangling from his left ear, with the other studs all being connected via a thin chain and a moon charm.

“…hey,” the redhead greeted quietly.

“Hey,” Joshua murmured, seating himself by his former Partner.

For a short while they just sat there silently, before Neku turned on Joshua and pulled him in for a kiss again. Despite the suddenness of the silverette kissed back eagerly, holding Neku close.

The Proxy moaned softly from the back of his throat, before he pushed against the Composer’s shoulders. But he didn’t allow Joshua to break away as he swiftly pinned the older male to the bed.

Joshua didn’t mind, though. He still kissed Neku lovingly, pulling the younger male closer.

After a moment of nipping on Joshua’s lip, Neku pulled away to look down at the Composer silently, breathing slightly heavier than normal.

“…you’re not angry…?”

“Why would I be angry?” Joshua frowned, confused.

“…because I just… left to look after Shiki…” the redhead breathed quietly, as if afraid that bringing it up would somehow cause more harm than good.

“Neku…” Joshua murmured. “You were worried about her. I understand.”

“Then why…” Neku started to say, only to cut himself off swiftly.

“Why what?”

Neku breathed heavily for a moment more, before he dared to speak again. “…why didn’t you show anymore…? It’s… it’s been a year…”

“What? I…I didn’t realize it had been that long…” Joshua breathed, horrified with himself. He knew time went faster for him than for others and sometimes he lost track… but a year!?

Neku didn’t say anything immediately in response; he merely regarded Joshua quietly, just taking him in. But finally, he raised a hand and rested it on his cheek.

“So… you’re not angry?”

“Of course not,” Joshua assured him, but then hesitated before asking: “Is Shiki okay?”

“Yeah…” Neku murmured as he laid himself down next to the Composer, head on the deity’s shoulder and one hand on his abdomen. “She’s fine… she’s had a year to recover…”

“I’m glad…” the silverette murmured, but remembered how Neku and the others had been talking about a wedding when he’d last seen the redhead. And as much as he didn’t want to ask, he had to know. “What about the wedding…?”

“Hm…?” Neku hummed softly, seemingly confused, before it seemed to dawn on him. “Ah…” He spent a moment to merely splay his fingers over the Composer’s stomach before speaking again, though. “She couldn’t make it before Christmas… so it was moved to the new year. Married at midnight exactly…”

Joshua seemed puzzled by this. “Then shouldn’t she be living here if you two are married?” he asked.

“…wait what?” Neku blinked at him curiously for a few moments before his eyes widened in realization – and then he laughed.

The Composer pouted, not liking that Neku was laughing at him.

“Shi… Shiki ma-married ERI… not me,” Neku finally managed to get out amidst his chuckles. “They’ve been going out since… since a month after… you know…”

The silverette immediately lowered his gaze, embarrassed from his assumption and Neku’s laughter. “Well…you can’t blame me for thinking that… You guys never directly said who she was with, and you two acted like a couple…” he muttered, looking away.

“That was just us getting back at Eri, coz she was being too flirty with me and Beat… Beat’s been doing it, too,” Neku chuckled out softly. “It was just a joke… nothing serious.”

Joshua sighed, still feeling embarrassed.

“Oy…” Neku called out softly. “Look, I’m sorry for laughing, a’ight? I just… couldn’t help it. Sorry.”

“All right, I forgive you,” the Composer relented, kissing Neku’s nose briefly.

The redhead allowed a small smile, before he settled against Joshua, his fingers still trailing along his stomach gently.

Joshua simply held Neku close, having missed the contact they’d shared a year prior. Even though, for him, it still seemed like yesterday.

“…ah!”

Suddenly, Neku pushed up and flipped over toward his nightstand, flipping the top drawer open and rummaging through it.

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” the silverette asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

Neku didn’t reply immediately, grumbling softly as he clearly wasn’t able to find what he was looking for. But then he gave a small triumphant cry and turned back around.

“Gimme your hand.”

Curious, Joshua complied, giving Neku his hand, shutting his eyes as well. He wasn’t even sure why he did the latter, but it just seemed necessary.

Wordlessly, Neku took hold of his hand in one of his own and, without waiting for him to question it, he slipped something around his ring finger. Joshua waited for Neku to tell him he could open his eyes, wondering what the object on his ring finger was.

“You can look, yanno?” Neku chuckled cheekily.

As Joshua opened his eyes again, his eyes fell on the silver ring embedded with pieces of jade, coral and a single sapphire and ruby, stylized in a yin-yang symbol right in the center.

“It’s… it’s beautiful, Neku,” the Composer breathed, awed by the ring’s beauty.

“Yeah, well, gonna be honest… Odin likes being extravagant…” the redhead mumbled, running a hand through his hair. “I just asked for the sapphire and ruby… he added the rest on his own…”

Joshua chuckled. “It’s beautiful, regardless.”

“Well, yeah…” the redhead murmured, shrugging a little bit.

“Not to be rude, and I do love it, but what’s the occasion?” Joshua asked curiously.

“…Are you seriously asking me that right now?” Neku grumbled softly, running his left hand through his bangs to get them out of his eyes… drawing attention to a similar ring that now rested snugly around his own ring finger.

Joshua noticed the ring on Neku’s own hand, and then it clicked. “Thank you, Neku,” he murmured, violet eyes shining with warmth and love for the redhead.

“Took you long enough,” the redhead mumbled, right before he moved in and locked their mouths together once again.

The Composer kissed back eagerly, loving the feeling on Neku’s lips on his. Humming pleasantly, Neku pushed Joshua back down to the bed, running his hands along Joshua’s arms as he licked at his lips tenderly. The touch made Joshua part his lips, readily allowing the redhead entry into his mouth as he pulled Neku closer.

With a small purr rumbling from his throat, Neku let his tongue explore the Composer’s mouth, while his hands moved around and began to work on the buttons of his shirt. The silverette moaned softly into Neku’s mouth, trailing his hands down his lover’s sides and to his pants, beginning to remove them.

Neku chuckled softly as he let his fingers play across the planes of his chest, briefly flicking at the silverette’s nipples with his thumbs.

Joshua broke away with a sharp gasp at the touch to his nipples.

That made the redhead chuckle again, before he moved lowed and began to nip and suckle on the man’s throat. And this had Joshua tilting his head back, allowing Neku more room to mark him, but continued to try and remove the redhead’s pants. After a little bit of struggling with it, Neku finally decided to humor him and moved back, slipping the garment off smoothly.

Joshua immediately pushed Neku onto his back, and once he was leaning over him, he lowered his mouth to Neku’s hips, taking his entire cock in his mouth with a pleasured hum.

Neku almost choked on a half-formed expletive, before he groaned heavily, curling his fingers into the covers. As Joshua moved up though, his lips passed over something that was almost ice cold compared to the heat of Neku’s flesh.

The silverette paused, confused, and then passed his tongue over it, identifying it as a dick piercing . Joshua ignored it, continuing to take more of Neku into his mouth.

“F-fuckin’ h-hell…!” Neku hissed out, pushing himself up somewhat to bury one of his hands in the silverette’s hair, gasping for every breath he took.

Joshua gave a soft moan as he encountered more piercings getting closer to the base of his lover’s cock. Once he did have all of Neku’s erection in his mouth, he began to move, and couldn’t help but groan, actually enjoying the mixed sensations in his mouth.

The redhead’s hand curled slightly tighter in Joshua’s hair as he groaned heavily, occasionally muttering a half-formed curse or trying to utter Joshua’s name.

“F-fuck…! Josh, i-if you keep… going I-I’m gonna…!”

The Composer quickly pulled away in time to prevent Neku from coming, and then kissed his lover passionately.

Immediately, Neku flipped them around again without breaking the kiss, pinning Joshua to the bed with his hands over his head as he worked on the remainder of Joshua’s clothes with his free hand.

Joshua shivered as Neku removed his remaining clothes, enjoying the feeling of being so submissive to his lover as his hands were trapped over his head.

After a moment of nipping at the Composer’s lips, Neku finally pulled away as he rolled his hips against Joshua’s.

The silverette moaned at the friction, wanting more.

The redhead chuckled softly at the sound, before moving over and murmuring in his ear. “Tell me, Yoshiya… what do you want me to do to you?”

“I… I want you… to… f-fuck me!” Joshua begged.

Smirking coldly, Neku murmured: “Such a bad mouth you have, Composer…” before he placed his fingers along the other man’s lips.

The Composer was quick to take Neku’s fingers into his mouth, sliding his tongue around the digits as he coated them in saliva.

Neku groaned at the feeling of the Composer’s tongue on his skin, before he finally removed them and lowered his hand, slipping two fingers into his lover immediately.

Joshua winced slightly at the sudden intrusion, but soon gave a soft moan. Neku’s fingers turned around slowly, before he pulled them out slowly and then nearly slammed them back in again, arching them upward just slightly. This tore a strangled groan from Joshua’s throat.

Chuckling softly, Neku set a steady rhythm as he nipped and suckled on the Composer’s ear. Shortly after, though, he slipped a third finger inside, though he never once ceased moving. The silverette squirmed at the teasing to his ear and the third finger in his ass.

Once Neku was sure there was no discomfort, he slipped in the last finger, and began to move his fingers around slowly.

Joshua moaned from the filling sensation, but, unable to take much more, he pleaded: “Neku… p-please! I n-need you inside me!”

Smirking, Neku finally pulled away and sat up on his knees, lifting up Joshua’s leg and placing it over his shoulder. “Ready?”

“P-please…just f-fuck me already…!” Joshua wailed.

“As you wish,” Neku purred, shifting just slightly, before he pushed into the Composer in one smooth motion

The silverette gasped sharply at the smooth entry. He knew Neku’s fingers wouldn’t compare to his cock, but holy shit, they were very deceiving. The redhead’s member filled him in an amazingly satisfying way, and he loved it, despite the slight pain.

For a few moments, Neku held still, breathing heavily to keep himself together. Sadly he couldn’t remain that way for long, as he moved out again and slammed back in without a word of warning.

Joshua moaned loudly, scrabbling his nails into Neku’s back as he struggled to grasp something, anything, to keep himself grounded.

After the first jerky motions, Neku found a good rhythm, and reached out with the hand not holding Joshua’s leg over his shoulder, taking hold of Joshua’s hand and squeezing it tightly. And the Composer squeezed back, clenching around Neku briefly as his next thrust hit his prostate. “There, Neku, there!” he cried out, another moan escaping him.

Neku nodded breathlessly, and briefly adjusted his position to make it a little easier, and then picked up his pace even further, hitting the Composer’s ‘feel good’ spot over and over. Joshua moaned and mewled beneath his lover, feeling his release rapidly approaching him.

Suddenly Neku arched forward, curling his arm around Joshua’s leg and grasping the other’s aching cock, moving even faster than he had been going already.

“ _AHH!!!_ N-NEKU!!!” Joshua stuttered in a cry, before screaming as he released all over Neku’s hand, clenching tightly around the redhead’s throbbing cock.

“A-ah!! F-FUCK!! J… Yo… _shiyaaaa!!!_ ” Neku got out in a half-strangled cry as his own climax hit, his seed filling his lover.

Joshua shuddered violently around Neku as he was filled with the redhead’s cum, and then went limp, breathing heavily.

Neku held still for a moment longer, his own breathing heavy as sweat poured down his face, before he finally pulled out, letting Joshua’s leg hit the bed again.

The silverette weakly reached out for Neku, just wanting to hold him close or be held close by him. Either way worked at this point, considering he felt so good but exhausted. The Proxy responded to that by moving over and laying down next to the Composer, curling his arm around Joshua’s back and tugging him up against him, his other hand still holding onto Joshua’s.

Joshua allowed himself to be held close, just wanting that contact. “Love you, Neku…” he breathed.

The redhead hummed softly in response, his thumb rubbing over Joshua’s gently. “…Love you, too, Josh…” he murmured, resting his forehead against the Composer’s.

The Composer gave a content sigh, smiling slightly at Neku before kissing him softly.

For a long time, the two of them just laid there, merely basking in each other’s presence. However, as time passed steadily, Neku’s expression turned contemplative, and then almost worried.

“What’s wrong?” Joshua asked, placing a comforting hand on Neku’s cheek.

Neku didn’t respond immediately, though he did lean into the touch.

“…don’t leave me here…” he breathed softly.

“I won’t,” the silverette murmured.

“Promise me…” Neku whispered, his hand tightening its grip on Joshua’s. “When you go… take me with you…”

“You mean…kill you?” Joshua asked in a soft voice, paling at the thought.

Neku didn’t respond, but the look in his eyes said enough.

“Neku… I love you with every fiber of my being, and I DO want you with me, I promise I do, but… I don’t know if I can kill you again…” the silverette mumbled. Taking a deep breath to try and hold back the tears, he sighed shakily and added, “But if you truly want it, then I will.”

“I trust you…” Neku breathed, leaning in and kissing the Composer again. “Please… whatever happens… don’t let me go…”

“Never,” Joshua swore, pressing his lips softly to the redhead’s forehead in a loving gesture.

Neku smiled softly, shutting his eyes quietly as he relaxed against the silver-haired male.

Joshua summoned his old hand gun from back when he’d first shot Neku, the weapon appearing in his free hand. Exhaling shakily, he placed the barrel of the gun to the side of Neku’s head. With one last whisper of, “I love you, Neku,” he pulled the trigger.

 

“…osh… Joshua!! Wake up!”

The Composer blinked his eyes open, wondering what was going on.

As his eyes opened fully though, his vision remained blurry for some inexplicable reason… until a familiar touch reached for his eyes and wiped away the tears that had been causing the blur.

“Are you okay?” Neku murmured, regarding his lover quietly.

Joshua stared at Neku, relieved that the redhead was with him again. Granted, he was no longer alive, but this meant they could finally be together without any restrictions of any kind.

“…Josh?” Neku asked, tilting his head worriedly when the Composer didn’t respond.

“Thank god you’re okay…” the silverette finally breathed, pulling Neku into a hug.

Neku blinked in surprise, before he moved his arms around the Composer. “Josh… it’s been two days already,” he murmured softly. “Are you still worrying about THAT?”

“Remember, sometimes time flies by me,” Joshua reminded him, burying his face in the other’s shoulder.

“Right…” Neku murmured, securing his arms around Joshua a bit more firmly. “…love you.”

“I love you, too,” the silverette whispered, inhaling his lover’s warm scent.

And as sleep once more claimed them both, they rested easy, knowing that they would never be alone again.


End file.
